Name: Tony Gonzales
Twitter: @esq_gonzales
LinkedIn: @tonygonzalesesq
Instagram: @tonygonzales759
Website: www.averzion.com
Age: 45
Title: Co-Founder/CEO of AVERZION & Slick Barrier
Married/Single: Married
Kids: 4 (Lia, Laney, Jayce, Jaxon)
City you live in: Chandler
A typical day in my life includes… wake up early to make kid lunches, work on my calendar for the day, check emails, court appearances, work out, check in with my business partners, more court appearances, more meetings with my business partners, Starbucks protein box for lunch, work on agreements or negotiate terms to some deal, make sure I did not miss anything for the day, more meetings with my business partners (we usually talk or text from 6 am to 10 pm – everyday), start planning the next 3 days, figure out dinner, conduct research, post on social media, make sure homework done, read, then bed. If I have spare time or if I’m driving, I like to fill the time with podcasts.
I was born…. In Salida, Colorado
My favorite thing about Arizona… is the diversity. Many people take this for granted, but most of us are from some other state or place. And aside from politics, we all still love being Arizonan.
I’m listening to…. When I’m at the gym or running, I listen to Amazon music soundtrack that has a mixture of country, hip hop and R&B and soul. If I’m in a car, I listen to business-related podcasts and business audio books.
My family… drives my ambitions and motivates me to work harder. There is nothing more motivating that having to worry about paying college tuition.
If I could have dinner with anyone, it would be…. Charles Barkley. Other than Grant Woods, who I did meet, I’ve always wanted to sit down with Barkley and talk sports, golf, and life.
One “thing” I cannot live without…my phone. My phone is my computer. It stores my calendar, books, podcasts, messages, email, documents, social media, and entertainment.
When I was younger, I wanted to be… a professional baseball player. But by the time I reached High School, I wanted to be a US Senator for the State of New Mexico.
I’m inspired by… those who take big risks regardless of outcome. I’m not talking parachuting or jumping off a bridge. Just those that march to a different beat for a good purpose.
The one person who motivates me is… my oldest daughter, Thalia. This girl has so much passion, dedication, and fire. When she commits to a project, she kills it. She studies past midnight, gets up at 4 a.m. to study more, does a full day of school, and still makes it to soccer practice. I like to think she learned her work ethic from me, but it was her mother.
If I could change anything in the world, it would be… reshaping how business credit is determined and how it can be repaired. It is very clear that the lower your credit score, the more interest, and fees a person will pay. This system is backwards, and it does not allow any mitigating factors to be determined, and scores are decided behind doors. We need to simplify this system and give more control to individuals to be proactive in shaping their own financial scores.
The perfect day would be… at the beach with a book, followed up with an evening of great scotch and a fine cigar.
My first job was… as an apprentice for a cabinet maker and woodworker who happened to be my dad. It was forced labor. But in retrospect, I loved spending time with my dad.
My favorite escape… re-runs. Yes, I watch old episodes of tv shows. If I am escaping, I don’t want to think. I want to just laugh! Seinfeld, Curb, Friends, The Office, or Modern Family.
My life… has been a race. This also seems to be my biggest downfall. I am always working and longing for what’s to come. I am hardly ever present, which has impacted some of my important relationships.
I’m currently working on… trying to scale our business. We had a terrific year with patents, breakthroughs in our technology, media attention and raising capital. Now, I am working to build on this momentum and hopefully grow our business.
Always… be learning and embracing change. I’m an infinite learner, and I am getting better at accepting things that are out of my control.
Never… believe that you know all the answers.
Favorite Quote… “Remember that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” —Steve Jobs
Biggest Dream… cabin on river with the love of my life.
My Pet Peeve(s)…posting on social media without proper grammar. If you are going to post something for all your friends to see, please re-read it at least once. Come on!
Bio-on yourself/company: Before Slick Barrier, Gonzalez had been a practicing attorney for over 15 years, even owning his own law firm in 2008. After his son Jaxon was stung by a scorpion in a nearly fatal incident, Gonzalez teamed up with childhood friend Aaron Gonzales to complete a patented application called Averzion. Slick Barrier is the new, direct-to-consumer company that makes Averzion available to homeowners so the product can be DIY’d applied without a pest control company.
Gonzalez has received numerous accolades including a fellowship with Flinn-Brown Civic Leadership Program and was a delegate to the National Nominating Convention. He’s a graduate of the Flagstaff Leadership Program and was an adjunct professor at Northern Arizona University and Coconino Community College.
